Gov. Richardson backs Obama

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Sen. Barack Obama won a coveted endorsement from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday while the State Department apologized that employees snooped into the Illinois Democrat's passport files and those of his two main White House rivals.

The backing from the Hispanic governor and former presidential contender is a victory for Obama and could improve his chances of winning over Latino voters who have leaned toward New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

A Clinton adviser dismissed the endorsement as not significant at this stage in the race.

Obama and Clinton are in a heated battle to represent the Democrats against the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, in the November 4 presidential election to succeed President George W. Bush.

In an embarrassment to the Bush administration, the State Department revealed on Friday that the passport records of all three major candidates had been improperly viewed by three contract employees and by a regular department staffer.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Obama, Clinton and McCain to apologize and the State Department said it was conducting an investigation and would look at how to tighten its systems to prevent such privacy violations.

"It is deeply disturbing, what's happened," Obama told a news conference.

"When you have not just one but a series of attempts to tap into people's personal records, that's a problem not just for me but for our health in this country and so I expect a full and thorough investigation."

Clinton, who was spending the Easter holiday at home off the campaign trail, said in a statement she would follow the probe closely.

The incident revived memories of the political firestorm that erupted in 1992 after State Department officials searched former President Bill Clinton's passport and citizenship files when he was a Democratic presidential candidate.

HELPING WITH HISPANICS?

Richardson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary during the Clinton administration, chose to abandon the former president and his wife, saying it was time for a new generation to lead.

"Your candidacy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our nation and you are a once-in-a-lifetime leader," Richardson said as he stood next to Obama in Oregon.

Richardson also ran for the Democratic nomination but abandoned his bid in January, stating he lacked the funds to continue after finishing fourth in voting in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Clinton and Obama had cultivated Richardson's backing in part because he could garner support among the Hispanic community, the fastest-growing segment of the electorate and a potentially vital voting bloc.

Richardson praised a speech Obama gave on race earlier this week and said it touched him as a Hispanic. "This is a man who understands us and who will respect us," he said in Spanish.

Hispanics largely backed Clinton in nominating contests on "Super Tuesday," with polls showing her winning two-thirds of the Latino vote in several states, and it was unclear whether they might shift to Obama because of Richardson's endorsement.

Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, on a conference call with reporters, dismissed Richardson's potential impact this far into the race. "I think that, you know, perhaps the time when he could have been most effective has long since passed," he said.

"We both have our endorsers, but I don't think that it is a significant endorsement in this environment."

While saying his "great affection and admiration for Senator Clinton and President Clinton will never waver," Richardson, 60, added, "It is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward."

A skilled negotiator and diplomat, the popular governor has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate or secretary of state in a Democratic administration.

He is also among the superdelegates whose votes could be crucial in the nominating contest if neither Obama nor Clinton wins enough delegates during the primaries.

Obama leads Clinton in the state-by-state contest to amass delegates who will formally select the Democrat to face McCain.

The Arizona senator, who pulled ahead of both Obama and Clinton in some national polls this week, was finishing up an overseas trip with a congressional delegation that visited Iraq, Israel, Jordan, France and Britain.

(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Writing by Arshad Mohammed and Jeff Mason; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http:blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)